Attention Massachusetts Preschool and Child Care Providers and Network Members

Subject: Waitlist Analysis, Program Access Analysis, & Continuity of Services Study

Dear Massachusetts Preschool and Child Care Providers and Network Members,

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) would like your help in conducting a survey of families with preschool-age children. The survey will help EEC better understand the demand for preschool programming and help the agency learn more about the access challenges that parents currently face. Please read further to learn more how you can help.

As you may be aware, Massachusetts has a variety of quality early education and care choices for parents, but due to high demand, many parents have to wait for services and programs to become available before their child can be enrolled. With such a high number of children currently on the Early Education and Care Subsidy Waitlist, it is important for policy-makers to better understand the demand for early education and care programming and the access challenges that families currently face. With this information, policy changes can be considered to expand access to high-quality programs and improve the continuity of care for our children.

In response to this need for information, EEC has chosen to partner with an independent consulting firm, Public Consulting Group (PCG), to complete a research study focusing on the characteristics of families with preschool-age children (age 2-5) on the Waitlist, the existing barriers to program access, and the different factors that affect the continuity of services for preschool children.

As part of this study, PCG is conducting a survey of families with

preschool-age children, and we need your help to pass on information about the survey and to encourage families to respond. We have identified you as either a preschool, a child care provider, or a network with direct access to parents. This research will inform policy and systems development for early care and education in Massachusetts and help to improve services for our children.

The survey is now open and is available at the following link:

http://survey.pcgus.com/MA-ECC.html. It is also posted to EEC's website at http://www.mass.gov/eec. Responses to the survey are confidential and the survey will remain open until May 14, 2010.

Please contact PCG at 866-315-3938 with any questions or concerns you may have about this research study and/or survey.

Thank you.